


Need You Now

by captainraz



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 20:05:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1954509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainraz/pseuds/captainraz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kira is drunk and maudlin one night. Set post-WYLB.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Need You Now

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the Lady Antebellum song of the same name.

_It’s a quarter after one_   
_I’m a little drunk_   
_and I need you now_

* * *

 

0100 hours found Kira alone in her quarters with a bottle of spring wine. She was feeling a little drunk around the edges and was increasingly maudlin. She knew she shouldn’t do this to herself, but tonight she couldn’t seem to help it. It had been a tough day and all she’d wanted to do at the end of her shift was collapse into his arms and sleep. Since that wasn’t possible, she’d opened up a bottle of wine and steadily worked her way through it. She would likely regret tomorrow’s physical hangover as much as the emotional one. Right now though she didn’t much care.

Kira’s attention was fixed on a small object in her hand; a small silver ring. It was this piece of jewellery that was the focus of her melancholy reminiscing.

Odo had been raised in the Bajoran culture, but when the Founders had made him solid they had made him human, not Bajoran. As such it was human customs that he’d researched in regards to romance and relationships. He’d found he quite liked the custom of exchanging rings with a lover to signify commitment.

They’d never really talked about getting married, but one evening shortly before they went to Cardassia he had presented her with the ring she now held in her hand. He had explained it’s meaning and significance, and asked her to marry him in the most roundabout way possible. She’d been delighted and had gotten him a ring in return, and they had planned to go to the Kendra shrine together. She felt deep in her pagh that this was the man she was meant to walk her life’s path with. But having a faith as strong as she did, she’d wanted to get confirmation from the Prophets. They were already married to each other in their hearts, all that was left was to do it officially. They’d planned to incorporate customs for both of them; ring exchange for Odo and a traditional Bajoran ceremony for Kira.

They’d had it all planned out.

Then came to call to join the Cardassian resistance. Everything had happened so fast after that it had felt like time was speeding up. Odo’s illness, the end of the war and him leaving to rejoin the Link. They hadn’t had the chance to tell anyone, never had the chance to wear their rings.

Kira had suggested they go to the shrine any way, but Odo had refused. He wasn’t planning on coming back and he didn’t want her waiting her whole life for him on the Prophets’ whim. It had hurt, but Kira had seen the wisdom in it. She had kept the ring as a reminder of how much they had loved each other.

She didn’t know what had happened to his ring though. It hadn’t been with the belongings he’d given her before he left. Neither had she found it when she’d gone through his quarters getting rid of stuff after she got back. It was utterly ridiculous, but Kira had this idea that maybe he’d taken it with him.

Kira shook herself to get rid of the melancholy thoughts. She put the top back on the bottle and sat back in her chair. It was ridiculous, a grown woman like her getting drunk and pining over a lover who was never coming back. Dax had been badgering her about going in for a counselling session, maybe tomorrow she’d take her up on it. Maybe she’d even be able to talk about the ring she’d been staring at for the last hour and what it meant. Prophets knew she needed to talk to someone.

But the person she needed most wasn’t here.

The sobs came out of nowhere, so intense that Kira struggled to breathe. She didn’t fight the tears, she just let them out. She hadn’t allowed herself to cry since he’d left and this was cathartic for her. When she had finished she felt much better, almost peaceful like she did after meditation.

Tomorrow she would go see Dax and get the professional help she needed after the upheaval she’d had in her life. But for now she needed sleep. She slipped the ring on to her finger and went to bed.

As she lay in the darkness caressing the silver band on her finger her thoughts turned to its counterpart. She imagined a shining silver ring suspended in a living ocean of gold, wrapped tightly in the substance of the person who used to be Odo. She fell asleep with that thought in her head, and for the first time in weeks she felt hopeful.


End file.
